Dr Toilet

A toilet can take care of your health. ‘Intelligence Toilet’ system, created by Japan’s largest toilet company, Toto, in association with Daiwa House Industry, can measure sugar levels in urine, blood pressure, body fat and weight. It comes with a minimum price tag of $3,500. It has got a built-in urine analyser, which collects five cubic centimeters (4.2 gms) of urine for analysing sugar levels. The device cleans itself automatically after the one-minute-long test. There is a blood pressure monitor, in front of the basin. All the results are transferred to a computer network for analysis which comes out on a computer spreadsheet. Advice about diet and exercise is then dispensed, without any human intervention.

Hydrogen flight

California-based AeroVironment has successfully completed test flights of an environment-friendly aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen. The liquid gas stored on board and oxygen extracted from the air are combined in fuel cells that can keep the unmanned plane on air for 24 hours. The electricity generated drives the propellers the front edge of the wing. The aircraft, called Global Observer, looks more like a glider, with its wingspan of over 15 metres, and extended, ‘dragon-fly’ tail.